Adjacent Words

viola definitions

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WordNet (r) 3.0 (2005)

n
1: any of the numerous plants of the genus Viola
2: large genus of flowering herbs of temperate regions [syn: Viola, genus Viola]
3: a bowed stringed instrument slightly larger than a violin, tuned a fifth lower

Merriam Webster's

I. noun Etymology: Middle English, from Latin Date: 15th century violet 1a; especially any of various garden hybrids with solitary white, yellow, or purple often variegated flowers resembling but smaller than typical pansies II. noun Etymology: Italian & Spanish, viol, viola, from Old Occitan, viol Date: circa 1724 a musical instrument of the violin family that is intermediate in size and compass between the violin and cello and is tuned a fifth below the violin • violist noun

Britannica Concise

Stringed instrument, the tenor member of the violin family. In appearance it is almost identical to the violin but slightly larger; its strings are tuned a 5th lower. It is a member of many chamber-music ensembles, and the modern orchestra uses six to 10 violas. Its tone is darker, warmer, and less powerful than the violin's, and it is rarely employed as a solo instrument. The viola d'amore is an 18th-cent. instrument with six or seven melody strings and several sympathetic strings strung under the melody strings which resonate in concord with the sounded pitches.

Oxford Reference Dictionary

1. n. 1 a an instrument of the violin family, larger than the violin and of lower pitch. b a viola-player. 2 a viol. Phrases and idioms: viola da braccio a viol corresponding to the modern viola. viola da gamba a viol held between the player's legs, esp. one corresponding to the modern cello. viola d'amore a sweet-toned tenor viol. Etymology: It. & Sp., prob. f. Prov.: see VIOL 2. n. 1 any plant of the genus Viola, including the pansy and violet. 2 a cultivated hybrid of this genus. Etymology: L, = violet

Webster's 1913 Dictionary

Viola Vi"o*la, n. [L., a violet. See Violet.] (Bot.) A genus of polypetalous herbaceous plants, including all kinds of violets.

Webster's 1913 Dictionary

Viola Vi"o*la, n. [It. See Viol.] (Mus.) An instrument in form and use resembling the violin, but larger, and a fifth lower in compass. Viola da braccio [It., viol for the arm], the tenor viol, or viola, a fifth lower than the violin. Its part is written in the alto clef, hence it is sometimes called the alto. Viola da gamba [It., viol for the leg], an instrument resembling the viola, but larger, and held between the knees. It is now rarely used. Viola da spalla [It., viol for the shoulder], an instrument formerly used, resembling the viola, and intermediate in size between the viola and the viola da gamba. Viola di amore [It., viol of love: cf. F. viole d'amour], a viol, larger than the viola, having catgut strings upon, and brass or steel wires under, the keyboard. These, sounding sympathetically with the strings, yield a peculiarly soft and silvery sound. It is now seldom used.

Collin's Cobuild Dictionary

(violas) A viola is a musical instrument with four strings that is played with a bow. It is like a violin, but is slightly larger and can play lower notes. N-VAR: oft the N

Soule's Dictionary of English Synonyms

n. Tenor-viol, alto-viol bratsche.

Moby Thesaurus

A string, Amati, Cremona, D string, E string, English horn, G string, Strad, Stradivari, Stradivarius, bass, bass viol, bassoon, block flute, bombard, bourdon, bow, bridge, bull fiddle, cello, claribel, clarinet, clarion, concert flute, contrabass, cornet, cornopean, cromorna, crowd, cymbel, diapason, double bass, dulciana, fiddle, fiddlebow, fiddlestick, fingerboard, flute stop, foundation stop, fourniture, gamba, gedeckt, gemshorn, harmonic flute, hybrid stop, kit, kit fiddle, kit violin, koppel flute, larigot, melodia, mixture, mutation stop, nazard, oboe, octave, organ stop, piccolo, plein jeu, posaune, principal, quint, quintaten, rank, ranket, reed stop, register, rohr flute, scroll, sesquialtera, shawm, soundboard, spitz flute, stop, stopped diapason, stopped flute, string, string diapason, string stop, tenor violin, tierce, tremolo, trombone, trumpet, tuning peg, twelfth, unda maris, vibrato, violin, violinette, violoncello, violoncello piccolo, violone, violotta, voix celeste, vox angelica, vox humana